Page 51 of Cherish

She’s exhausted. I know it because I’m the one who tired her out with hours of sex, alternating between rough and gentle. My woman likes it rough, which was a pleasant surprise.

Everything about her is a surprise. She looks at everything in wonder, as if she’s experiencing things for the first time. Her reaction to seeing this room and the Clarks’ summer home. The way she quickly wiped her tears after hearing Jake’s vows to Sandy, probably afraid someone would see her vulnerability. The way she reacted to holding Travis, handing him to me like he was a bomb about to go off. But the most surprising is how she looked and studied Sandy and Tash over the past two days. She watched their every interaction with interest, and if I’m not mistaken, envy.

“I know you said you never met your father. Why is that?” I hold my breath, unsure of her reaction. She talks freely about her mother, but her father is not someone she’s ever mentioned. She remains still and unmoving. I think maybe she fell asleep until she starts talking.

“I don’t know why. My mother would never talk about it. I asked though. I was sixteen the last time I brought it up with her. I got so angry when she wouldn’t give me any straight answers and yelled at her. She burst into tears and started crying hysterically.” She drops her voice and stops speaking, almost as if she’s transporting herself back to that day. “I had never seen my mother cry before. I dropped the subject and never brought it up again.”

We’re quiet for several minutes. I ponder her words, thinking them through.

“Recently, I’ve been wondering if she was really upset or if that was her way of manipulating me. I’ll never know. For a while, I thought I might have been the product of a rape, so I never brought it up again.”

“You don’t believe that anymore?”

“No, I don’t. I did for a while, but I don’t believe that’s the case anymore. I haven’t believed that for a while now.”

“I’m sorry.” That’s all I say, thankful that I didn’t have to tell her about my suspicions of manipulation. “We can find him, Alex. If that’s something you want to do.”

“I like how you said we. When I’m ready to have a conversation with him, I’ll want you with me.”

I kiss her forehead and lay my cheek on her hair. “I’ll be there.”

“Why? Because you love me?”

“That’s kinda how it works.”

She yawns against my chest, her warm breath breathing new life into my body. “You’re killing this boyfriend thing. I love you, too.”

She falls asleep almost instantly. Her breathing evens out and she snores softly. She snuggles even closer to me and I consider whether I should dig around and find her father.

As crazy as my parents can be, they never shirked their parental duties, at least not with me. When it became clear I was academically gifted, they enrolled me in science camps, computer coding classes, and advanced math classes. They tried to do the same for Mellie. Unfortunately, she wasn’t a good student. My parents started comparing her to me instead of exploring her individual talents. That’s when her resentment toward me started. I was sixteen, and she was thirteen, and she didn’t test well enough to go to the same STEM school I attended. Their disappointment was obvious considering the money they spent on tutoring. That’s when I lost my sister completely. She’d always kept her distance, but after that, she became hostile. Combative.

Reliving my history, I decide to only get involved in finding Alex’s father if she asks.

Alex turns on her side and I follow, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her back into my chest.

“So, tell me about you and Mellie. The first week we met, she said you guys weren’t always close, but you asked her to move here with you. She went on and on about her brother. It was sweet.” She looks at me with her doe eyes, waiting for me to speak about my sibling.

“Things are good now, but it took us some time to get there, angel.” After having breakfast at the hotel—a breakfast hosted by the Clarks for the remaining guests—we went back to our room, eager to spend the rest of our time alone. I’m lying across the bed and she has her feet on top of me. I pick them up and start to rub. “She didn’t like me for a long time. Call it an extreme case of sibling rivalry.” I tell her some of Mellie’s struggles with school and her resentment toward me, most of it caused by our parents.

“How did you get to a point where you asked her to come live with you?”

“She got into some trouble at work. That’s her story to tell, not mine. I went to help. Got her a lawyer. She hated that I came in to help, but I think before the lawyer got the charges dropped, he explained how serious they were. She called me out of the blue. I didn’t even know she had my phone number. We talked. Cleared the air. I told her I always loved her. Asking her to move to Boston was spontaneous. The words came out of my mouth and she said yes. The rest is history. It’s been nice getting to know her. I’ve always loved her, but I now like her too.” She sighs at the conclusion of my story.

“Lots of siblings this weekend. The Clark brothers are amazing. And Sandy and Tash. Ananda is like a sister to me.”

“Do you have any family?” I know I need to tread lightly, but I persist. “Grandparents? Did your mom have any siblings? Maybe you have some cousins out there.”

“Her mom was a widow. My grandfather died when my mom was a teenager. She has an older sister, but she lives in Pittsburgh. My mom was never close to her, and I didn’t understand why until my mother died. Aunt Patrice,” she says with a deep sigh. “If you look up the term bible thumper, you’ll find her picture. She showed up for the funeral with my one cousin, who I hadn’t seen since I was a kid. That poor girl wasn’t allowed to have so much as an opinion. Aunt Patrice ruled over her poor daughter with an iron fist.”

“You don’t talk?”

“Romans chapter one verse eighteen. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” I sit up and look at her. She had taken on the tone of an old preacher, enunciating and shouting certain words. “First Corinthians chapter seven verse two. But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.”

“Is there a reason why you’re quoting the New Testament?”

“That’s the one she sent to me when I asked her if she knew who my father was. I stopped reaching out after that, but every few months or so, she’ll send me a scripture warning me about God’s wrath.”

“I see.” I leave my position at the bottom of the bed and go lie next to her. I pull her to me, understanding her a little bit more now, my heart breaking for this beautiful creature who has been all alone in this world. No wonder she’s obsessed with sibling relationships. No wonder she thought she had a future with Doyle after he paid her some attention and dangled a possible relationship in front of her eyes.

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